Serdashop TM32 is a new portable, affordable General MIDI and SoundFonts sf2 Synthesizer with built-in Roland MT-32 emulation.
Vintage synthesizers and retro games are more popular than ever. Even though the two worlds are very different, synths also played an essential role in retro games from the late 80s and 90s. One popular instrument in particular is the Roland MT-32 from 1987.
The MT-32 is a multi-timbral digital LAS synth with 128 D-50-like sounds featured in many retro game soundtracks. Due to these games’ popularity, the hardware price has also skyrocketed. The good news is that there is an unofficial emulation of it in affordable hardware form.
TM32
Dale Whinham, a developer, has created the MT32Pi, an open-source bare metal kernel that turns a simple Raspberry Pi 3 or later into a Roland MT-32 emulator. What used to require a small metal box packed with electronics now fits on a tiny Raspberry Pi.
It’s not just an MT-32 emulation; it’s a 16-part multi-timbral 128-voice Synthesizer based on Circle, Munt, and FluidSynth that supports General MIDI and GS SF2 SoundFonts with up to 400 MB.
According to the developer, there is no operation or complex Linux audio configuration; it’s just super-low latency audio. You can DIY the synth yourself, but you don’t have to. You can now get all this ready-built and tested with the Serdashop TM32 Synthesizer.
The TM32 uses a Pi Zero 2W with 512 MB RAM. It runs a tweaked configuration of the open-source MT32Pi software, which works better for live performances. Moreover, it comes pre-loaded with the default GeneralUser GS SoundFont.
Also, a benefit of the TM32 is that it comes in a custom-made enclosure that includes everything you need to operate it: a high-quality stereo DAC with a 3.5mm stereo line out, 5-pin DIN MIDI input, and a USB-C connector for powering.
The hardware also includes a display for navigating the menu system. With a button press, you can easily switch between SoundFonts files.
First Impression
A lovely, special-interest Synthesizer. I’m sure many people are looking for those cheesy Roland MT-32 sounds. With the TM32, the Belgian company offers an affordable alternative with more features. You can even use it as a simple sound font player.
TM32 by Serdashop is available now for 116€, including a 32GB microSD card installed. Without a card, it’s 99€.
More information here: Serdashop
can you set the device to a specific MIDI channel, so it only responds to the MIDI channel you send from your sequencer, ignoring all the other channels you send to other MIDI devices.
Thanks
Trimpin
I didn’t test it sorry